Diesel has hit its highest price ever in the US, and that's bad news for truckers, farmers, builders, and eventually anyone who buys groceries.

• Diesel jumped sharply in just two weeks and is up 74% in a year, with California already above $8 a gallon.
• Supply is tight: Russian refineries are being hit, Middle East shipping is disrupted, and US stockpiles sit well below normal.
• Trump just moved to block diesel exports so more stays at home, and truckers are floating a strike as soon as October 1st.
• Winter heating oil draws on the same fuel, so cold weather could squeeze supply further — a life-or-death problem in poorer countries.
• With midterms weeks away, energy prices tend to decide votes, and past elections show voters blame the president for pain at the pump.

Outlook: Most see diesel staying high into winter, with a real chance of $8 nationally and higher prices showing up in shipping, food, and construction bills.